With many fans looking forward to another WEC title defense from "The California Kid," the looming Hurricane Ike has postponed the promotion's slated Sept. 10 card in Hollywood, Fla. Now Faber will have to wait until Nov. 5 for his 145-pound crown showdown with Mike Thomas Brown.
2. Mike Thomas Brown (17-4-0)
After a career spent mostly in anonymity, Brown finally got his well-earned moment in the sun by knocking off Jeff Curran in June and earning a WEC title shot. The American Top Teamer will have to wait until Nov. 5 to get his crack at Urijah Faber, though, with Hurricane Ike postponing the promotion's Sept. 10 card.
3. Leonard Garcia (11-3-0)
Yet another victim of the Hurricane Ike postponement, Garcia was scheduled to meet Jens Pulver on Sept. 10. The battle of heavy-fisted featherweights will have to wait until Nov. 5.
4. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (18-6-2)
After dropping three of his last four fights as a lightweight, the colorful veteran abandoned the 155-pound division, where he had spent his entire career, to compete as a featherweight. In his debut at 145 pounds, Mishima made out fantastically, winning a majority decision and the Deep featherweight title from Masakazu Imanari.
5. Jeff Curran (30-10-1)
Since dropping a decision to Mike Thomas Brown in June, "The Big Frog" has decided that he will test the waters in the intensifying bantamweight division in the near future. He has competed mostly as a featherweight throughout his career, but at bantamweight he’ll hope to challenge divisional kingpin Miguel Torres.
6. Masakazu Imanari (15-6-1)
Like Jeff Curran, Imanari will make the cut down to the bantamweight division. On Aug. 17, he will meet Hiroshi Umemura to determine Deep's first bantamweight champion. A victory would make Imanari Deep's first two-division champion.
7. Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1)
After his slated Aug. 3 opponent, Cub Swanson, sustained a hand injury shortly before the WEC event, IFL veteran L.C. Davis was served up as a late replacement, which would have salvaged a great bout. Unfortunately, Takaya's management rejected the last-minute replacement, nixing the Japanese banger from the card.
8. Hatsu Hioki (15-3-2)
Hioki turned in a decidedly mediocre performance against Hiroshi Nakamura, fighting to a tepid draw in front of his hometown Nagoya crowd on Aug. 3. Now the lanky Nagoyan will look to get back into the winner's circle when he makes the second defense of his TKO featherweight title in hostile territory, this time against promotional mainstay Thierry Quenneville Oct. 3 in Montreal.
9. Takeshi Inoue (14-3-0)
The former Shooto world champ looked as if he were taking control of his May 3 fight with Trenell "Savant" Young until he was caught in a deep guillotine that turned the tide. With the loss, Inoue needs a major win to put him back amongst the cream of the featherweight crop.
10. Wagnney Fabiano (10-1-0)
It was a prayer answered by MMA's premier promotion for featherweights when the IFL's only featherweight champion announced that he had signed with the WEC. The talented Brazilian will finally get his chance to prove he's a top-flight 145-pounder and may make his debut as early as the Dec. 3 WEC card.